Integrating relay circuit



NOV. 7, 1933. M P HANSON 1,933,976

INTEGRATING RELAY CIRCUIT Filed Dec. 22, 1928 Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INTEGRATING RELAY CIRCUIT Application December 22, 1928 Serial No. 327,995

` 3 Claims.

My invention relates to circuit arrangements in general and more specifically to circuit arrangements wherein electrical energy is integrated.

An object of my invention is to provide an integrating relay which will be responsive to a plurality of feeble electrical impulses.

Another object of my invention is to provide a circuit arrangement whereby a plurality of sources of signaling energy are caused to integrate and energize an associated load circuit.

A better understanding of the circuit arrangements of my invention can be had by referring to the specification following and to the accompanying drawing wherein:

l5 Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit arrangement of my invention and Fig. 2 shows a modification of the circuit arrangements of my invention.

My invention employs the glow discharge tube of the type whereby a gas contained in anenvelope is caused to conduct electrical energy un er conditions producing ionization. The glow di harge device of the type employed inthe circ t arrangements of my invention, comprises a zf'containerthe gas in which is caused to ionize at a critical potential of exciting energy. The container may be of glass, quartz or a silicate compound and the gas content may be rarefied helium, neon, krypton or other suitable gas. The

source of electrical energy may be direct or alternating current, either of which will cause the gas to ionize. When ionization of the gasoccurs, a conducting path is provided between the electrodes suitably low in electrical resistance to afford conduction of an appreciable value of electrical energy. The circuit arrangements of my invention make use of the fact that the energizing potential required to produce ionization of the gas is of a critical value. A better under- 10 standing of the circuit arrangements of my invention can be had by referring to the accompanying drawing. Y

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration showing schematically the circuit arrangements of my l5 invention. A source of signaling energy is associated with the circuit 1. Circuit 1 is associated with circuit 2 which is the input circuit of thermionic tube 3. The output circuit of thermionic tube 3 includes glow discharge device 4, inductance 5, capacity 6 high resistance path 6a and source of electrical energy 7. Inductance 5 is associated with inductance 8 which is the input circuit of thermionic tube 9. The output circuit of thermionic tube 9 includes glow discharge i5 device 10, inductance 11, capacity 12 and source of electrical energy 13. Load circuit 14 is associated with inductance 11 of the output circuit of thermionic tube 9. The operation of the circuit arrangements of my invention is as follows:

The source of signaling energy associated with the input circuit of thermionic tube 3 is amplified and charges the capacity 6 in the output circuit. The ampliiied signaling energy continues to charge capacity 6 until the potential so stored is suflicient to cause ionization of the gas contained in glow discharge tube 4. As soon as this potential is sufficient to produce ionizatiomglow discharge tube 4 offers a conductive path to the electrical energy thus stored in capacity 6 and the discharge surges through inductance 5. Inductance 5 is associated with the input circuit inductance 8 of thermionic tube 9. The surge of electrical energy caused by the integrationof energy in capacity 6 and discharged through inductance 5 is ampliiied by thermionic tube 9 and the amplied energy in the output circuit of thermionic tube 9 is caused to charge a second capacity 12. When the surges have integrated to a sufiiciently large value, the gas of glow discharge tube 10 is ionized and a conducting path for the energy stored in capacity 12 is provided whereby the surge discharge is made possible through inductance 11. Inductance 11 is associated with any suitable load circuit 14. The critical potential necessary to produce ionization of the gas in glow discharge device 4 is determined by the design. The energy stored in capacity 6 necessary to produce ionization will largely depend on the potential from source '7. It is therefore seen that the ionization of the gas whereby the discharge of capacity 6 is provided depends upon the design of glow discharge device 4 and source of potential 7. It is further obvious that the frequency of the discharge through inductance 5 is a function of the value of the source of energy in input circuit 2. Therefore the frequency of the discharge depends upon the design of the glow discharge tube and the critical potential necessary to produce ionization of the gas. This critical potential may be of any value desired and may be counteracted by the selection of the proper value of source of energy 7. The control electrode of thermionic tube 9 will thus be energized by the surge of energy from inductance 5 and in the output circuit the energy will be increased in Value. The surges of energy from inductance 5, having a frequency determined as aforementioned, charge capacity 12. The charge is stored in capacity 12 where it integrates to a value as determined by the design of glow discharge device 10 and the value of source of energy 13. The critical potential necessary to produce ionization of the gas in glow discharge device 10 may be of a. higher order than the critical potential producing ionization oi' glow discharge device 4. When such is the case, the frequency can be reduced to a low value. The frequency of discharge through inductance 11 may be higher than the frequency of discharge through inductance 5 or it may be of the same order. It is obvious that the energy can thus be integrated and increased in magnitude to a remarkable degree. The source of energy introduced into circuit l may be of the order of very feeble impulses. These impulses are caused to integrate and produce a source oi electrical energy of sufficient amplitude to be utilized in many different ways.

Fig, 2 of the accompanying drawing shows a modification of the circuit arrangements of my invention. Similar reference characters have been used in Fig. 2 to identify corresponding parts as represented in Fig. l. Capacity 6 is charged by the impulses in the output circuit. These impulses are caused to integrate until the critical ionization potential of glow discharge device 4l is reached. An electromagnet having a winding 5, which corresponds to inductance 5 of Fig. l is included in the output circuit. Winding 5 is energized by the surge of potential caused by the discharge oi capacity 6 through the ionized gas path provided by glow discharge device 4. As heretofore mentioned the frequency of such energization may be determined by the values of capacity 6, source of potential. l and the design of glow discharge device Il. The output circuit, responsive to the surges of electrical energy, includes a relay armature l5 which is actuated by the elec'trornagnet. Armature l5 may be provided with suitable contacts for controlling the circuits 16, 17, and lil or may take the form or suitable gear and pinion or other mechanical arrangements.

Many modifications of the circuit arrangements of my invention are possible without departing from the spirit oi' my invention. Any number of thermionic tubes and glow discharge tubes may be employed in combination to cause feeble electrical impulses to integrate to a de termined value. It is tc be understood that my invention shall not be limited to the accompanying drawing or the foregoing specication but only as dened in the appended claims.

In the claims I have used the expression "input circuit to designate the capacity 6 and resistance 6a, and the expression "output circuit to indicate the inductance path 5 or relay winding 5. These terms are not to be confused with such terminology used to designate the grid and plate circuits of electron tubes.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1..Means for converting electrical impulses that vary in intensity into electrical impulses that are of substantially constant intensity. but which vary in duration, comprising a variable impedance device, a source of potential and a condenser connected in series, a glow discharge tube and an output device connected in series across the terminals of said condenser and means for varying the impedance of. said impedance device in accordance with the intensity ci eiec trical impulses whereby the frequency oi the in termittent current in said glow discharge tube circuit is proportional to the intensity of the controlling electrical impulses.

2. Means for converting electrical intensity variations into frequency variations, comprising a variable impedance device, means of varying the impedance of said device in accordance with. the intensity of electrical impulses, a source oi potential, a condenser, a glow discharge tube and an output device, said impedance device, source of potential and condenser being connected in. series and said glow discharge tube and output device being connected in series across said con denser.

3. A signal receiving system comprising an electron discharge tube network having input and output circuits, a source of current, an in ductive load and a glow tube in series in at least one of said output circuits, a condenser shunty ing both load and glow tube, and means for varying the impedance o said electron discharge tube in response to signals oi varying intensity whereby said condenser is alternately charged and discharged and in consequence thereof the potential drop across the load and glow tube varied above and below a critical point for activating said load.

MALCOLM P. HANSON. 

